When It’s Hard to Open Up in Relationships: Understanding Emotional Distance and Conflict Avoidance
Do you find it hard to open up, avoid conflict, or feel overwhelmed by your partner’s emotions? You’re not alone. Many people protect themselves by staying calm, quiet, or emotionally distant — even when they crave connection. This post explores why that happens and how Emotionally Focused Therapy can help you feel safe enough to reconnect.
Will Couples Therapy Make Our Relationship Worse?
Worried couples therapy might make your relationship worse? It’s a common fear—but avoiding help often keeps issues unresolved. In this post, we explore why therapy can feel uncomfortable at first, how to tell if it’s actually helping, and warning signs it might not be the right fit. Learn how couples therapy can strengthen communication, break unhelpful patterns, and deepen your connection—even when it feels hard.
I Think My Partner Has Anxious Attachment. How Can I Get Them to Calm Down and Give Me Space?
Does your partner seem “clingy” or need constant reassurance? Anxious attachment often looks like over-closeness, but underneath it’s driven by fear of abandonment. Learn what’s really going on, why their protective strategies come from care, and how you can support your partner while still honoring your need for space.
I Think My Partner Has Avoidant Attachment. How Can I Make Them Open Up and Care About Me?
Wondering if your partner has avoidant attachment? Avoidant partners may seem distant or emotionally unavailable, but underneath, their protective strategies come from fear—not lack of love. Learn what avoidant attachment looks like, the beliefs that drive it, and how you can build safety, connection, and closeness in your relationship.
Is It Me or Is It Them? Post-Breakup Rumination and How to Find Peace and Acceptance
After a breakup, it’s common to replay conversations and ask yourself, ‘Was it me or was it them?’ Rumination can keep you stuck in cycles of blame and doubt. This post explores why we get caught in these loops, how IFS can help us understand the different ‘parts’ that show up after heartbreak, and gentle ways to move toward peace, closure, and self-compassion.
Subtle Forms of Avoidance in Relationships: How They Show Up and What to Do About Them
Avoidance in relationships doesn’t always look like shutting down. Sometimes it shows up in more subtle ways—like over-analyzing, problem-solving too quickly, or people-pleasing. These protective strategies often come from a good place, but they can create distance and leave both partners feeling unseen. In this post, we explore why these patterns show up, how they protect us, and what you can do to build deeper emotional connection.
Healing From Infidelity: What the Process Looks Like and Finding Hope After Betrayal
Infidelity can leave you feeling shattered, questioning trust, and wondering if healing is even possible. The recovery journey is rarely linear—there are moments of pain, progress, and setbacks along the way. Whether you’re working to rebuild your relationship or finding a path forward on your own, there is hope. In this post, we explore what the healing process looks like, common challenges to expect, and how therapy can support you in moving toward a healthier future.
Managing Back-to-School Stress as a Couple: Staying Connected Through Transitions
Back-to-school season can leave couples feeling more like co-managers than partners. Between schedules, homework, and busy evenings, intimacy often slips to the background. In this post, we’ll explore simple, intentional ways to stay connected and nurture your relationship during transitions—so you feel like a team, not just parents juggling logistics.
Responsive vs. Spontaneous Sexual Desire
When one partner has spontaneous sexual desire and the other has responsive desire, mismatched sex drive can create a painful stalemate. Here’s how to understand these differences, break the cycle, and improve intimacy in your relationship.
Contempt in Relationships: What It Looks Like, Where It Comes From, and How to Heal
Contempt is one of the most toxic forces in a relationship — and a leading predictor of divorce. Learn how to spot contempt, understand where it comes from, and take steps to repair respect, trust, and connection before it’s too late.
The Pursue-Withdraw Cycle in Relationships: How to Break the Pattern with EFT
One partner chases connection while the other pulls away—sound familiar? Learn how to identify your role and how Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) can help you break the pattern and reconnect.
What Is Negative Sentiment Override in Relationships (And How to Break the Cycle)
Learn what negative sentiment override is, how it shows up in relationships, and simple, research-backed strategies to shift out of disconnection and rebuild emotional trust.
Feeling Like Roommates? You're Not Alone
If your relationship feels like two ships passing in the night—cordial but distant—you might be stuck in the “roommate phase.” Learn why this happens, how to tell you’re in it, and how EFT couples therapy can help you find your way back to closeness.
Why Your Partner Shuts Down — and What to Do Instead of Pushing
When your partner shuts down during conflict, it can feel like rejection—but it’s often a sign of emotional overwhelm. Learn what’s really happening and how to reconnect without pushing.
Struggling After a Breakup? How Attachment-Based Therapy Can Help with Relationship Anxiety and ROCD
Feeling stuck after a breakup? Attachment-based therapy can help you untangle relationship anxiety and obsessive thoughts—and move forward with clarity and compassion.
What Is Relationship Anxiety and How Can IFS Therapy Help?
Relationship anxiety can leave you feeling insecure, clingy, or constantly on edge. Learn how IFS therapy can help you build self-trust and more connected relationships.
Why Emotion Matters More Than Logic in Couples Therapy
We’ve all tried to talk our way out of a fight. But what if the real problem isn’t logic—it’s emotion? Learn why emotional connection is the real game-changer in couples therapy.
How EFT Helps Couples Stop Fighting the Same Fight Over and Over
Do you and your partner keep having the same argument? EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) helps couples get unstuck by addressing the real issue beneath the surface—disconnection. Here's how it works.
What Is Emotionally Focused Therapy and How Can It Help Your Relationship?
Feel like you and your partner keep having the same argument on repeat?
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps couples break the cycle, rebuild trust, and feel close again.